Capitol Records Building Remains a Star

It has been scientifically proven that music has a profound effect on the brain. Many of us non-scientific types just feel music is magic. Listening to an old song can bring up so many memories or transport you to an exact location, and even go as far as inviting who you were with for the full experience. That is the majesty of music, so it should come as no surprise that the Capitol Records Building would be among our choices for this list.

The Capitol Records Building, also known as the Capitol Records Tower, is located at 1750 Vine Street in Los Angeles. It is right smack in the middle of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It can be seen from the ever so famous corner of Hollywood and Vine.

The building was based on the designs using the graduate school drawings of Louis Naidorf of Welton Becket Associates. In 1955, the British company EMI purchased Capitol Records, and soon thereafter the construction began. The Capitol Records Building was completely constructed in 1956.

The Googie-style building was designed to resemble a stack of records, standing 13 stories high. Located approximately 30 feet underground, there are echo chambers, which were designed by the legendary guitarist Les Paul.

The building also has a rooftop spire that looks like a record needle from an old school phonograph, and on top of that needle is a red light that blinks continuously the word “Hollywood” in Morse code. Leila Morse, the granddaughter of Samuel Morse, had the honors of originally flipping on the switch. 

Capitol Records was founded in 1942 by Johnny Mercer. Just about every legendary musical artist recorded their music in the studio inside the Capitol Records Building, with Frank Sinatra being the first. On the south wall of the building, there is a mural titled “Hollywood Jazz: 1945-1972” by artist Richard Wyatt. On every Christmas since 1958, there has been a Christmas tree on top of the building.

On November 15th 2006, the building was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.  

All the musical artists involved in the creation of this iconic building have passed on, but one can’t help wonder if perhaps posthumously they still run the place. 

From the Factory Floor

Our artisans hard at work …

by Gerald Olesker, CEO, ADG